The current Sharei Chesed Congregation, through the establishment of its two predecessor synagogues,
Sharei
Tzedek and
Gemelus Chesed, traces its roots back to 1906. The organization that year of Sharei Tzedek, located at 8th
and
Bryant, was
the culmination of a dream and need shared by many Eastern European Orthodox Jews who fled their homelands
and
immigrated to
Minnesota in the early 1900s. They found their way to North Minneapolis and weaved their way into the
social
and
business
fabric of the community.

Gemelus Chesed, formally registered in 1914—but founded earlier—was one of a number
of combination-type
fraternal
societies
which loaned money, administered relief and provided religious services for the growing influx of
immigrants. It
was located
originally on Eighth and Girard, then moved to Logan Avenue before building a new building in St. Louis
Park.

The congregations’ early members were the forbearers of many current, prominent Twin Cities’ families.

In 1969, the two congregations merged to form Sharei Chesed.

Early spiritual leadership of the congregation rested in the devoted and capable hands of two legendary
figures
of the Orthodox
Jewish community. Rabbi S.I. Levin served the Congregations Sharei Tzedek and Sharei Chesed for more than 63
years. He was the
highly respected dean of Minneapolis Orthodox rabbis until his death in 1984. A prolific writer in scholarly
Hebrew journals,
he was one of the founders of the Minneapolis Federation and the Jewish Family and Children’s Service.

For 54 years, Rabbi George S. Sektor guided Gemelus Chesed and the merged Sharei Chesed congregation until
his
death in 1988.
He was a great Talmudic scholar, a trained mohel and a shochet. In 1965, under his zestful leadership, the
congregation built
and dedicated the facility at 2734 Rhode Island Avenue — the first Orthodox synagogue in St. Louis Park. He
is
remembered warmly
for his fulfillment of the meaning of “Gemilut Hesed” through his contributions to many Jewish institutions
of
learning and various
Jewish homes for orphans.

Today, and for over 20 years now, Sharei Chesed has been a modern Conservative synagogue where families sit
together and listen
to both men and women lead services in both Hebrew and English. We are also blessed to be in our new home in
Minnetonka on the
shores of beautiful Crane Lake (click here for directions), led by the wise
counsel
and dynamic leadership
of our spiritual leader, Rabbi Daniel Ettedgui.

If you would like to read more, local historian Laura Weber has also written
about Sharei Chesed - part of a
series of synagogue
histories for MNopedia, an online encyclopedia of Minnesota history, published by the Minnesota Historical
Society. You can read
her article by clicking
here.